Joyce Scobie was just 20 when she married 26-year-old Neville Agnew at the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Winton on 16 November 1963.

On Saturday (18 Nov) they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

About 60 family members, friends and acquaintances attended a diamond wedding luncheon in their honour at the Richmond Grove Church Hall in Invercargill.

Neville and Joyce Agnew (right) were guests of honour at a special family luncheon on Saturday to mark their 60th wedding anniversary. Photo: Supplied

Dorothy Joyce was a daughter of Dot (Dorothy) and Murdie (Murdoch) Scobie from Winton, and her husband, Neville Campbell Agnew was the youngest son of Gladys and Alexander Agnew from Waikiwi, Invercargill.

When they met, Joyce worked at the Winton Bakery while Neville was driving trucks for Agnew’s Transport. 

The couple settled in Invercargill and went on to raise four daughters - Faye, Barbara, Maree and Pauline.

The Agnew family, (L-R) Faye, Barbara, Neville, Maree, Joyce and Pauline. Photo: Supplied.

Today the Agnew extended family boasts 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

With Neville’s ancestors hailing from Ballymore in Ireland and Joyce of Scottish heritage (her father played in the Winton Pipe Band), it’s little wonder that the couple became Celtic culture stalwarts.

In the late 1970's the couples two eldest daughters, Faye and Barbara joined the City of Invercargill Caledonian Pipe Band as tenor drummers, while Maree and Pauline followed in their mother's footsteps by taking up highland dancing.

Neville and Joyce Agnew on their wedding day in 1963. Photo: Supplied

Both Neville and Joyce instinctively became active band supporters.

Caledonian Pipe Band life member, David Pickett, said Joyce's catering skills in the bands Ladies Committee were legendary.

"I would hate to think how many cheese rolls, how much seafood chowder, and how many dollars she has raised over the years,” he said.

Neville and Joyce Agnew pause in front of their 60th wedding annversary cake. Photo: Supplied

Joyce’s daughter, Barbara Lester agreed.

“Food was a big thing in our family, with mum being a baker."

"Helping mum make food for catering was something she made us all confident about when we were very young."

"She was also involved in Plunket mother’s fundraisers,” Lester said.

Both Joyce and Neville agree that the highlight of their life were trips away with the family in an old bus that Neville had converted into a campervan.

“I had a lot of fun converting it, but when we went away, the roof leaked like a sieve and I had to fix it," Neville said.

"We had many trips in this bus. One year we took it all the way to the top of the North Island,” he said.

“It had 4 bunks and 2 double beds, as well as a [kitchen] range, an oven and all the necessary equipment. We used to go on holidays in it with our four girls and my parents,” Joyce remembers.

And when Invercargill was inundated by floodwaters in 1984, the Agnews used their bus as emergency accommodation for friends from Grasmere who had been badly affected.

Both Agnews agree that the secret to a happy, lasting marriage is honesty, tolerance and good communication.

“You’ve got to give and take. Be honest with one another. Never go to bed with a grudge,” Joyce asserts.

“You’ve got to work things out and think them through, rather than fly off your handle. There were a few disagreements in our marriage, but none of them turned into fights,” Neville says.

Their daughter, Barbara, says she had an idyllic childhood.

“I’ve never heard my parents argue,” she said.

The couple now resides at Ascot Bupa Retirement Village in Invercargill.

“It made life easy. Lawns are done, windows are washed, and if anything is broken it gets fixed.” Neville says.